Houston October Events

1st Tuesday of every month the Houston Zoo is free after 2pm.

1st Sunday and every Thursday of the month, the Houston Children’s Museum is free.

1) WHEN: Sat. Oct. 2nd 12-9pm
WHERE:Midtown Super Block (SW corner of McGowen and Main Houston, TX )
WHAT: In preparation for their 10 year anniversary, the Midtown Management District will hold various neighborhood-wide events designed to celebrate with residents, business owners, and city officials. These events will serve to enrich the mission of the District of actively promoting Midtown while building community.  A community-wide Block Party is planned for Saturday, October 2, 2010 from noon to 9pm, and will take place on the Super Block, an area of land on the Southwest corner of Main and McGowen, in the heart of Midtown. Activities include entertainment from area schools and local bands, Children’s activities, a dog park, food vendors showcasing local restaurants, and an artist showcase. Residents are encouraged to walk to the Block Party or use the convenient McGowen Light Rail stop.

* Bring your Pets to the Urban Tails Dog Park
* Celebrate Ocktoberfest in our Texas Beer Garden
* Enjoy Live Music and Entertainment at the Bud Light Performance Stage - Including local bands Runaway Sun, Mason Lankford & The Folk Family Revival and Drum
* Taste your favorite Midtown Eateries at the Midtown Midway
* Bring the family to enjoy activities at the Kids' Block - Featuring a Houston Zoo sponsored Petting Zoo, Interactive Theatre Group, HPD Helicopter area, games and more
* Experience Midtown's best artists at the Art Walk - Local art from your favorite Midtown Art in the Park crew and others

2)WHEN: Fri. Oct 8th 7:30 pm
WHERE: Discovery Green (1500 McKinney Street Houston, TX)
WHAT:In anticipation of the upcoming Shrek: The Musical at the Hobby Center, Broadway Across America presents a free outdoor screening of the animated film at the park.

3)WHEN: Sat. Oct. 9th 10am-5pm
WHERE: HFD Val Jahnke Fire Training Facility ( 8030 Braniff Street Houston, TX)
WHAT: The Houston Fire Museum presents its annual Fire Fest, featuring fire and rescue demonstrations, fire trucks on display, a barbecue cook-off, live music, food and vendor booths, and a kids' zone with pony rides and an inflatable slide.

4)WHEN: Fri. Oct. 15th 5-8pm and Sat. Oct. 16th 9-4pm
WHERE: Bear Creek United Methodist (BCUMC is located at 16000 Rippling Water Dr. (off of Kieth-Harrow & Hwy. 6)
WHAT: Bear Creek UMC Fall Festival & Bazaar, Oct. 15 - 16, 2010!!!
The Methodist Women will be having their Annual Craft Show and Church Fall Festival, from Fri 10/15/10, 5pm – 8pm and Sat 10/16/10, 9am to 4pm! Put it on your calendar now!  Almost 100 Indoor & Outdoor Vendors & a Silent Auction! Our Fall Festival offers a Kids Carnival with prizes from 9am-3pm, the Chik-Fil-A Cow, plus Family Entertainment, Face Painting, Inflatables, Obstacle Course and our famous Pumpkin Patch (a definite photo Fall opportunity)! In the Patch we will offer Drinks, Snacks and Candy.Register for our FREE Door Prize Drawing and a FREE Goodie Bag for each family! For delectable food we offer Jacob’s Grille choose Donuts, Kolaches, Breakfast Tacos, Chik-Fil-A Chicken Sandwiches, BBQ Beef, Baked Potatoes, Pizza, Nachos, Hot Dogs, Ice-Cold Beverages, and more! For your sweet tooth, visit the Sweet Shoppe with Cakes, Pies, Cookies, Brownies, Fall Fodder, Candied Pecans, Breads, and Sweet & Spicy pickles. Call Leslie Kajileh at 281-463-2330 or email umw-bazaar@hotmail.com for vendors or go to www.bearcreekumc.org/women for more details!

5) WHEN: Sat. Oct. 16th 10-4pm
WHERE: First United Methodist Church - Pasadena (1062 Fairmont Parkway Pasadena, TX)
WHAT: The annual festival features a petting zoo, carnival games and rides, pony rides, craft vendors, live music, a pumpkin patch, and a performance by family musicians Leah White and her band the Magic Mirrors (11am-1pm).

6) WHEN: Saturdays and Sundays October 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Friday mornings Oct 15, 22, and 29, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Houston Zoo
WHAT: Zoo Boo 2010- Visit the Houston Zoo for your favorite Zoo Boo activities, including the Fiesta Mart Pumpkin Patch, the Monster Mural, the Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP Tatzoo Parlor, and, of course, candy!

7)WHEN: Sat. Oct. 23rd 1-4pm
WHERE: Traders Village
WHAT: Throw on your best Halloween costume and get ready to do the Monster Mash as Traders Village presents the annual Boo Bash, the biggest free spooktacular for kids in Houston. On Saturday afternoon, from 1 to 4 p.m., Traders Village will be loaded with more Halloween entertainment and fun than ever before. Boo Bash 2010 will present continuous live musical entertainment and activities, and monster-sized Trick-or-Treating. From 2:30-3:30 p.m. children aged 12 and under can Trick-or-Treat for candy at participating shops throughout the market, while supplies last, with their free Trick-or-Treat bag compliments of Traders Village. The Haunted Hallway is creepy rooms of scares and goodies for little guys. Every child attending will receive a Halloween gift and Trick-or-Treat bag while supplies last. Free to the public, parking $3.

8) WHEN: Fri. Oct. 29th 6:30-9:30 pm
WHERE: Miller Outdoor Theatre
WHAT: Monsters vs Aliens
Jumpstart Halloween with a costume contest and this popular Dream Works 2009 animated film featuring the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Kiefer Sutherland, Stephen Colbert and Paul Rudd. (Note: the DVD version is not 3-D) Prizes! Presented by Miller Outdoor Theatre

9) WHEN: Sat. Oct. 30th 6-10pm
WHERE: Discovery Green (1500 McKinney Street, Houston, TX)
WHAT: The outdoor Halloween event for kids and families features games, live music, face painting, performances, and costume contests with prizes in many categories.

Garage Sale Find

I found Aila this little tricycle at a garage sale and both kids absolutely love it.  They ride it all over the house.

Safety Fair

After garage saleing on Saturday we found a great safety fair.  Logan and Aila could go in all the safety vehicles and they had lots of free stickers, coloring pages, etc. for the kids.  I got so many activities that we are now adding a safety unit to our homeschool lessons.  Logan now knows how to dial 911 and tell them our address. 

 Fire Truck:

 

 

Ambulance:

 

Police Car:

 



Despicable Me

We decided to take Logan and Aila to the movies to see Despicable Me.  The last time we went to the movies we saw Toy Story 3 and Aila did not want to sit still.  This time we decided to try bringing in her car seat.  She sat and watched 3/4 of the movie and then she fell asleep.  Logan cracked up the entire time.  He was the loudest laugher in the theater.  The movie was really cute and actually had a nice lesson in the end. 

Doug carrying Aila out after the movie:

 

Trip to the Library

We took the kids to the library so that they could get some new books to read at home and so I could get some for my homeschool lessons for the next 2 weeks.  Logan and Aila are my lil book worms!

 

 

Logan put on a puppet show for me and Aila:

 

 



Getting Our Exercise

The weather had been cooling off here so we have been outside a lot.  Logan is a pro at riding his bike now.  He no longer stops between petals.  He was starting to go so fast that I ran to Goodwill and got him a helmet.  Aila just likes riding in the stroller.

 

 

 

Great Blog and a Give Away!

My friend Tabitha started this awesome blog called "You Are What You Keep".  It is all about decluttering your life so you can live with less stress and with the best that you have.  She posts lots of great organizing tips and is not afraid to show the before and after pics of her own home.  Right now she is hosting a giveaway for CSN Stores.  Check out her blog here You Are What You Keep

Little Chefs!

One of our Life Skills and Behavioral Skills that we have been working on his following directions when cooking.  We use this lovely step stool that Aila is hamming it up on to do our cooking.  The kids love taking turns listening to my instructions and picking the right ingredient to pour in.  It has also been a tool for me to start teaching them about fractions.

School

Logan goes to preschool on Mondays and Wednesdays.  On the other days of the week I have been homeschooling.  I always did educational activities with the kids but I never actually sat down and planned lessons and made academic goals for them.  Now we are taking a more serious approach.  I have 4-6 30 minute lessons planned for each day that the kids are home.  Right now we are focusing on Phonics, Literacy, Mathmatics, Behavioral Skills, Life Skills, and Biblical Principles.  Logan and Aila love going to "school" around our kitchen table.  Logan actually told me he likes "Mommy School" better than big school.  My kitchen has become an art gallery for all of Logan and Aila's projects.  Check it out:

Cici's and Playtime

This weekend we took the kids to Cici's Pizza for the first time.  The kids had a blast and ate a ton.  Afterwards we went to check out the playground at our mall.  It had been closed for remodeling and just reopened.  I was hoping they were going to make a nice rubber one like the playzones we have in the AZ malls but instead they just took down one of their giant structures and covered the poles in padding.  It looks very strange.  They still left up 2 other little structures that look like McDonald's play structures so the kids were able to play on that.  I guess it is better than nothing...

Some Changes

One of our neighbors was throwing away this little garden fence so we put it up  to protect my flowers (which keep getting stepped on or driven on by bikes).

Another neighbor was throwing away this chair so we picked it up so I can have a nice little seat to watch the kids play infront of our house.

I put up my fall decorations.  I love having this nice big window in our living room!  Thanks Aunt Mary and Mom for all the cute window clings!

And now we have a window treatment in our living room:

We Are Ready for Halloween!

The kids have their costumes all set to go.  Mimi found Aila this adorable ladybug costume at a garage sale and Logan decided he wanted to be a clown after he found that wig at Goodwill.  All I need now is to get some face paint.  I used regualr makeup on Logan's face for this trial dress up day and it was a nightmare getting it off.  I thought he was going to have to go to school with a clown face the next day. 

Seriously?

Our McDonalds in our town is all proud of their "face to face" service.  I remember as a kid that was all there was but I have gotten used to the must faster and much more efficient order over the speaker, pay at one window, get your food at the next proceedure.  Does this mean I value my time more than social interaction? I think so.  I mean the person taking my order is a stranger anyway so do I really have to talk about the weather with them? I guess I will never fit in in a small town.  I like the hustle and bustle.  I like when fast food is FAST.  I am trying to learn patience.  I am trying to see the positive side of shooting the breeze with someone I don't even know.  But it just feels foreign, uncomfortable, and quite frankly...I find it annoying.  And then it makes me feel guilty for being annoyed.  I mean these people are just trying to be nice.  But I just want to get out of there, wherever I am...the grocery store, the fast food line, the gas station. 

Happy Grandparents Day!

Logan and Aila are so blessed to have both sets of grandparents and 2 sets of great grandparents!!!

Nana, Grandpa, Mimi, Papa, GG, Grandma Jean and Grandpa Bill you guys are all awesome and the kids love all of you so much! Thank you for being so involved in their lives! The kids love you so much and so do we!

Astros Game

Some neighbors came over this week and said they had 6 tickets to the Astros game but they couldn't go and wanted to give them to us! Gotta love the way God provides! Logan has been talking about going to the game ever since we got the tickets.  He was really into it and reenacted the game when we got home last night.  Doug asked his friend Duane and little girl to come with us.  We all went to church together and then headed to the game.  Duane treated us to lunch and snacks at the ballpark and then we treated them for dinner after the game at Frank's Pizza : )

Aila and Emma were really tired before the game:

We sat in the VERY last row of the stadium.  It was pretty neat because you could see the entire field but it was a little scary too.  My seat was right in the middle of the stairs like this.  I told Doug I felt like I should be wearing a seat belt :) Here is poor Doug climbing up the stairs while balancing all the food!

Logan and Duane's little girl always have fun being goofballs together:

The stadium has a massive playground that the kids liked playing on.

What a cute statue:

Posing for pics after the game:

Time to eat at Frank's:

The kids love the music there.  Duane's little girl asked Logan to dance.  I had them do it again so I could video it becuase it was just too cute.  Then Aila wanted to join in: